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7le COMMITTEE of 100 in the FEDERAL CITY Coopers & Lybrand report makes case for Union Station convention centerThe Coopers & Lybrand study by the Washington Convention Center Authority offers the latest evidence that the proposed Mt. Vernon convention center will be obsolete soon after it opens, ignoring market trends and convention industry demands spelled out in the report. But the report fails to analyze costs of the Mt. Vernon plan the most controversial issue in the debate over D.C.'s largest proposed construction project ever. It is the Committee's view that the Coopers & Lybrand report points to the need for a thorough, independent cost-benefit analysis comparing the Mt. Vernon and Union Station convention center options. 1. Expansion The report is silent on the lack of expansion capability at the Mt. Vernon site. A September draft of the report obtained by the Committee of 100 went further in stressing the importance of expansion capability. It said that 25 cities "have determined that to maintain or increase their share of the trade show and convention market, facility expansion must be seriously considered. Any expansion project undertaken in Washington, D.C. must be considered in the context of competitive facilities." This statement was removed in later drafts. 2. Need for Adjacent Hotels 3. Exhibit Space Preferences 4. Lack of Cost Analysis 5. Real Cost-Benefit Analysis is Needed The Committee of 100 was founded in 1923 to safeguard and advance the fundamental planning, environmental and aesthetic values which enhance the District of Columbia's historic distinction, natural beauty and overall livability. Chairman Tersh Boasberg is available for comment at (202) 736-2782. |
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